Chapter 24

 

 

“Are we going down there, yet?” Amelia asked. She had started to worry they were never moving to the captives. Time was running out.

“Yes, but I fear for your life. You said Inuala has killed you in the past, caused your death other times. You’ve died too many times. I wouldn’t want that for you again. Especially knowing you always wind up with another man. I’d be tempted to go after you once more, and lose.”

“I wish there was something I could say to make it easier. I’m an asshole. I’m sorry.”

“I should have been better to you.” He touched her shoulder. “I never did deserve your love, Amelia.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“No, but it’s the truth.”

“Come on, let’s deal with Inuala and banish Crom Cruach from this world.”

“You sure you can do that?” he asked.

“Guess we’ll find out. And don’t be surprised when my friends show up. Fae, mages, other casters, including a necromancer who happens to be part of the Silver Council now. He’ll be able to stop any vampire who resists.”

“I’ve warned all I could. I only hope my loyal vampires stay out of the way as requested.”

“I need to ask you something. Do you know who’s being held captive?”

He shook his head. “I rarely visit the dungeon. It’s for those of my vampires who don’t want to venture into the new world to find their meal. I know it’s wrong, but they have to eat, and some wouldn’t survive without cattle.”

“You realize how horrible that is for the one taken?”

“Never considered their point of view.” He sighed. “I wish you hadn’t died the first time. I would have been a better leader with you nearby.”

“You did pretty well for yourself and your people. You never needed me. Now, I need to tell you something. There are several people I know down there, and one I promised to find before too much happened to her.”

“Who?” he asked simply.

Her eyes closed.

He lifted her chin and she opened her eyes. He murmured, “So I can get them out of there before they’re hurt.”

“Tyrone. He’s a human I have history with. He was a friend who became a lover before I became blood bound. Gina, she’s a werewolf, but she’s been through hell. She doesn’t deserve any of the life she lived until a few months ago. Christian, my sister’s mate. And I promised Jordan I would find his succubus girlfriend, Leanan.”

“Damn it. Leanan has been hurt, but the offending vampire is dead. That is the one thing Inuala did right.”

She nodded. “I believe she was violated by guardsmen in my family’s employ. Would explain why she would go to a woman’s aid.”

“Is that why Inuala is obsessed with Crom Cruach?” Eamon asked.

“I’m not sure. I never met her. Not until my second incarnation. I did hear her voice and happened to be watching the first ritual to summon Crom Cruach, the one that put him in me, because the one she tried to put him in resisted.”

“I suppose it doesn’t matter. She’s gone too far to summon her god—my god. What is he exactly?”

“An entity from a much darker plane. He wants power through sacrifice, pain, blood. He would destroy life as we know it.”

“We’ll stop him, but if he tries to force me to do something, stop me. No matter what it takes.”

“I don’t want you to die, either.”

“Want to wait for the others?” he asked.

“No. They can find me,” she assured.

“You’re sure?”

She nodded. “Positive. Now please, I’m worried about everyone down there, especially Leanan.”

Eamon led her downstairs. The spirits started shooting her information faster than she could process. She knew how many vampires were down there. Nearly two hundred. She knew most were hiding, out of the way. That most of them weren’t evil, just misguided. There were ten to worry about. Those loyal to Inuala and Crom Cruach. Ones who might slaughter anyone who got in their way.

They entered a cavern, and Amelia immediately found Tyrone, who locked gazes with her and burst into tears. That wrenched her heart. Christian stood in the middle of the room, looking around.

She noticed a dozen vampires huddled around him, one covered in blood with Leanan broken against a wall, blood pooling around her.

“What have you done?” Eamon shouted, flying past her in a burst of shadows.

Amelia appeared before Christian, in front of Eamon when he reappeared. She shoved him back. “Do you see what one of your vampires did to a victim? She’s crumpled on the floor, dead.” Amelia could sense no life in her.

A woman with golden hair and dark eyes entered the room. Another vampire.

Badb whispered to Amelia, Don’t trust her.

“Eamon, Inuala is in trouble. Please come,” the blonde vampire pleaded.

His eyes burned red. “Not until I deal with this situation.” He turned to Amelia. “Who is he?” His finger pointed in Christian’s direction.

“My sister’s mate. And if you harm him, or even attempt it, I will tear you apart, regardless of anything else. Your vampires brought these people here, against their will, held them captive, and used them as food. Whether or not you paid attention is not my concern. You were still in the wrong. You could have stopped this. One of yours killed someone who will be missed. And Christian was only trying to defend those who can’t defend themselves.”

Eamon blinked, then looked around the room.

Amelia started to fear Eamon would choose his vampires and burn any hope she had to redeem him.

 

* * * *

 

Eamon took a moment to breathe. Amelia was right in every way. “How do I fix this?” he whispered.

“Send the vampires away for now. I can sense Brent coming.”

“Of course.” Eamon answered.

She nodded. “I know he killed many of your vampires, but keep in mind Inuala kept him captive for five years. They treated him like shit. He killed them to escape.”

“I understand. I only found out about him after Inuala died, but Drummond believed he died in the fire.”

“Yeah, well, I already warned you what would happen if you touch him.”

Eamon chuckled, then shouted orders for the vampires to leave. Though he walked to the bloodied one and thrust his fist in the killer’s stomach and reached up, into the chest cavity to find his heart. He ripped it out and sank his teeth as the vampire fell to the ground.

Amelia made no comment, as she moved to Christian. “You okay?”

He sighed. “I healed her, only for her to die to protect me. But they went for Tyrone. I had to stop them. You still need to fix him.”

“That will have to wait. We have to stop something much bigger. And with the power you’re kicking off, you should come with me. Maybe you can help me stop this chick.”

“The one summoning something that has no right to be in this realm?”

“Uh, yeah.” She turned to Eamon. “This is my brother-in-law, basically. His name is Christian. This is Eamon, and not totally at fault here. I’m going to see if we can redeem him.”

“Okay,” Christian said slowly. “You and I need to have a long talk.”

She snorted. “Yeah, sure. Later. Right now, we need to prevent Crom Cruach from ruining the entire world.”

“Right,” Christian answered.

Eamon nodded to Yolanda. “Where is she?”

“She’s in the back. At the end. You need to come alone.”

Eamon caught her by the throat, lifted her up, and sank his teeth, searching her thoughts and memories. It was a trap, of course. But he couldn’t send Amelia in there alone.

With his free hand, he caught Yolanda’s shoulder and ripped her head off her body. “She’s working with Inuala to ensure my death and the summoning.”

“I told you. I’m preventing your death, as long as you don’t harm someone I care about. Now let’s get down there to stop this mess.”

“It’s a trap,” he answered.

“And we’re coming prepared. The rest of them are almost here. I don’t want to wait too long to put a stop to her plans.”

He started for the hallway that would take them deeper underground. Chanting echoed down the hall. Inuala and two other vampires. Two he would have never expected to betray him.

 

* * * *

 

Yolanda carried the unconscious blond werewolf to the table and laid her out.

Inuala sliced her hand open and spilled her blood in a circle around the table. “Give me several moments, then find Eamon. Bring him to me. Alone.”

The door opened and in stepped Niall and Nolan. Fear chilled her blood, but Inuala challenged their stare. “Who do you serve? Crom Cruach? Or Eamon?”

“He is both,” Niall answered, stepping closer with a murderous glare.

“No, he is not. He grows weaker by the century, always chasing after love of a woman who has never truly loved him. She was pregnant with another man’s child when Eamon lost her. He carries Crom’s touch, but his goal is no longer to summon our god. Tell me who you serve.”

“Liar,” Nolan shouted, charging forward.

Smiling, Inuala splashed blood from her open wound on the young woman and chanted in her people’s tongue.

Crom Cruach reached through the veil, forming a cloud of shadow over the werewolf’s body. Until she fueled the ritual, she couldn’t bring Crom across permanently. But he could aid in the blood shed, to help him.

Niall slid to a stop as Nolan pulled a blade.

Inuala burst into a hundred birds made of shadow and flew at Niall and Nolan, tearing their flesh. Tendrils reached from the cloud of shadow, entering Niall and Nolan through the wounds. Their eyes bled to black, spreading across the white.

“We serve Crom Cruach,” they vowed in unison.

A commotion was heard down the hall. “Come, we must bring Eamon here and kill him.”